# My Edgestar 28 Build



## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Hey BOTL's. Well the inevitable is upon me, the old desktop humidor is full :hat:.

I have been thinking about a new storage solution for the past few months and have decided to build a wine cooler. This thread will track the progress of my build!

I have borrowed heavily from previous contributors when it comes to figuring out the logistics of this build. slave2theaxe and quo155 provided alot of insight and inspiration in their build threads. I have linked them below:
http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-accessory-discussion/276777-slaves-edgestar-28-build.html

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...cussion/276339-quo155s-edgestar-28-build.html

I will be running:

-2 computer case fans set up on a timer (arrived; Newegg). I went with these: Newegg.com - MASSCOOL FD08025S1M4 80mm Case Fan
-2 lbs. of ConservaGel beads to regulate RH (arrived; Bargain-humidors)
-Ranco ETC for precise temp control (On the way; Patriot-Supply)
-I have also placed an order for shelves and drawers through Forrest .

Well the cooler arrived late last week. After the unboxing, I cleaned the inside with a water/baking soda solution to get rid of the fresh plastic smell. I let it air out most of the weekend and followed up with another cleaning with the baking soda solution this morning. It seems to be pretty good.










































I will be working more this evening and tomorrow morning. I'll keep ya posted


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## sligub (Apr 6, 2011)

Looking forward to seeing it finished and filled.


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## raylol16 (Aug 4, 2011)

Man this looks like an awesome project. How much has it run you so far?


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Got $220 in the fridge (compactappliance has free shipping), $180 in shelves from Forrest, and about $75 in the ETC unit/fans/wiring accessories/etc


Oh yea and the beads. I think I paid about $15/lb from bargain humidors.

I'm fine with the costs considering I wont have to freeze my sticks anymore or worry about beetle problems. It also should have plenty of storage space for now. But you know that space fills up quickly :cowboyic9:


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## raylol16 (Aug 4, 2011)

Man it is definitely something I will look into in the future. I have way too much temperature fluctuations in the summer time.


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## bcannon87 (Sep 8, 2010)

Great Choice, you will enjoy it!! Looking forward to seeing the pictures!!


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## falconman515 (Jul 10, 2011)

Welcome to the Wineador world brother!

Quo155's thread helped me as well in building my NewAir 28 bottle (http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...-newair-aw-280e-28-bottle-wineador-build.html).

So many different ways of building these are they look so nice and works perfect to keep our sticks perfect.

I will be watching your thread to check out the ongoing progress of this bad boy.

Glad this site has helped and if I can help out any way please let me know.

Have fun brother.


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## CiGaR_SlAyEr (May 20, 2011)

Cant wait to see the finnished product....keep up the pics


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Thanks for the support guys! I got alot done tonight but its time to call it a day. I'll get some more pics up in the coming days.

The point of no return!


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Got alot done today.

The Ranco ETC arrived and I hooked it up without any problems (I did not order the prewired one). I purchased a 10 ft. extension cord from Harbor Freight ($6), cut it in half, and wired it into the ETC unit. I also installed a 3/8 Romex connecter in the unit to avoid pulling the wires loose. I was thrilled to learn that the wiring associated with this unit is not very difficult. I followed a wiring guide from a non-cigar related forum and it was a great help:

Ranco ETC 111000-000 - 120V Wiring Guide

Here are my pics:

















After that I started working on setting up the two computer fans. I decided to mount them about 3/4 up the back of the unit on each side of the factory cooling output (facing towards the glass). This seemed like an easy and effective mounting location as the humid air will rise and be pushed back down when the fans power on. I also installed some spacers and bolts through the fans. I purchased these parts from the hardware section of Home Depot.

























So I cut the connectors off the fans and wired them to my adapter purchased form Radio-Shack.

















Here I had my first problem. After wiring the computer fans to the DC adapter, I turned them on for a test run before mounting. The fans did not run properly and were pulsing on and off. They were not moving any air. I checked out the box of the adapter and it was only pushing 300mA. Unfortunately, I couldnt return the unit because I had sliced the end off of it to wire the fans. On a hunch, I went to wal-mart and bought another adapter. This one pushes 1200 mA!! When in doubt, more power never hurts :new_all_coholic:









After I wired the fans to the new adapter, they were blowing like Lindsay Lohan on any given weekend! So I heatshrinked the joints and used a hot-glue gun to mount the fans:

















At this point I mounted the Ranco temperature sensor. I placed it along the bottom left and secured it using plastic ancors and zip ties. What do you guys think about sensor placement? Does it matter? Is there a better location to mount it?

I also used zip ties and ancors to clean up the wires inside the cab.









More to come!:roll:


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Also, at this point im not planning on plugging the condensation drain. I dont really want to build a condensation catch inside the cab. Im also worried about the chance of getting my smokes wet if I was to plug the drain. From what I have gathered through observing the unit last weekend, the factory condensation drain does a good job catching water and only allows for minimal temp/RH escape.

I will keep an eye on it once I get the beads in and the RH up. I may have to scrap this plan but for right now I'll give it a shot!


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## k-morelli (Jun 22, 2011)

great looking build thus far. can't wait to see it filled up


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## CiGaR_SlAyEr (May 20, 2011)

Lookin good :tukeep the pics comin


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## Vitulla (Aug 6, 2011)

Matt, looks great. I have a thread also here, look down a few topics. Sort of at a standstill...not sure where or how to position my fan. I put the fan blowing down but it seems to be drying the cigars directly under the stream of air. that seems like a good setup, but let me know how it works out for you. Also, is there a reason for the extra temp control?
Thanks bud
Danny


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Vitulla said:


> Matt, looks great. I have a thread also here, look down a few topics. Sort of at a standstill...not sure where or how to position my fan. I put the fan blowing down but it seems to be drying the cigars directly under the stream of air. that seems like a good setup, but let me know how it works out for you. Also, is there a reason for the extra temp control?
> Thanks bud
> Danny


Hey Danny! Nice build you got there. I really like your drawers. Its driving me crazy seeing all these nice builds while I wait on my drawers :banghead:

I would suggest using a hot glue gun to mount the fan(s). That way you can easily move them if you run in to problems with placement. I put mine where I did in part because the top half of the Edgestar will house boxes and the sticks will be somewhat protected from direct exposure to the fans. Im interested in seeing how yours comes out!

I went with the Ranco because the Edgestar was running @ 61 degrees on its warmest setting. I would like to have it set at ~67 degrees. This is better for the cigars IMO and will also give me fewer humidity issues. Im still working on programming the Ranco and figuring out which setting is best. More to come on the ETC settings.


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Beads went in this morning along with some empty cigar boxes. I sealed the hole that the wires run through with hot glue before work this morning. Im going to work on cleaning up the wiring behind the unit this evening and will post pics/updates about the temp & RH levels.

About all that I need now are my shelves and drawers:cowboyic9:


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## falconman515 (Jul 10, 2011)

KILLER thread brother!!!

This is the reason I did my small thread on my NewAir.... on top of being able to show of you new cooler it helps out new members TONS when trying to build theirs.

Keep up the awesome work bro!!!


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Today was another good one. As I posted earlier, the beads went in with some old empty boxes. The temp/RH seem to be pretty good. Temp has been between 66-68 throughout the cab. RH is a little high. Currently its at about 72%. I have 65% beads. Its quite possible that I over charged them. Maybe it just needs some shelves/drawers/sticks to absorb that extra humidity :noidea:










Condensation is minimal and is all colecting nicely in the catch pan behind the unit.

I also commandeered a nice little end table off craigslist this afternoon ($15). The dimensions are perfect for the fridge and really add a nice touch IMO. It also came in handy when mounting the power strip. With the end table the unit sits at about chest level and really makes it a focal point in the room. (much to the dismay of my girlfriend:lol

I got behind the unit and worked on cleaning up the wires. I zip tied the execess wiring and secured it to the back of the unit with plastic ancors.



















The Ranco unit and power strip were attached with industrial strength velcro and seem to be holding up nicely.

This is how it currently sits...










:happy::happy::happy:


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## CiGaR_SlAyEr (May 20, 2011)

Lookin good man.....love the cigar accessory pr0n


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Quick Update: Its been about a week since the beads went in and the RH has stabilized. It has been at 68 degrees/ 67% RH for the past 3 days or so...It's rock solid!

Im really happy with it so far. For anyone who wants to build one, I would suggest not plugging the drain until you let it run a while and see how it works in your climate. I have had no issues leaving the drain unplugged. In fact, it does a pretty damn good job of collecting condensation without causing fluxuations in temp/RH.

I put some sticks in this weekend and they seem to be doing well...I also ordered a shit load of cigars (including some boxes) :cowboyic9:. They should be here by the end of the week! I will post pics soon.

All that's really left is to get my drawers from forrest and fill this baby up!

More pics to come!


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## Laencio (Jul 7, 2011)

madirishman said:


> For anyone who wants to build one, I would suggest not plugging the drain until you let it run a while and see how it works in your climate.


Nice suggestion! I'm about to start my build here in a week or two. Nice job on the write up too!!


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## Mutombo (Aug 3, 2010)

Looking good! Can't wait to see it filled up.


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## falconman515 (Jul 10, 2011)

Hows the build comin brother?


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Hey everybody, sorry it's been so long since I have posted any updates. I've been very busy.

The drawers and shelves that Forrest made finally arrived this Friday. I'm very impressed with the quality and craftsmanship. The fit and finish of these things is unreal. The pics just dont do them justice.

But for the sake of keeping this thread chronological, I will start by posting pics from Friday before the drawers arrived.



















Booze and accessories on top...










With just boxes and wire shelves...










Current pics coming...


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

And now for the good stuff:hat:



















Drawer 1









Drawer 2- Maduros









Drawer 3









I have a sponge soaked in distilled water in the botton of the cooler right now to season the wood.

I hope everyone enjoyed this project, I know I did!

arty:arty:arty:


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## Marlboro Cigars-cl (Feb 19, 2007)

Came out b e a u t i f u l.. grats on completion.
Now to fill her up and start another.
:tu


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## gosh (Oct 17, 2011)

Phenomenal!


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## skfr518 (Jul 4, 2011)

Great job on everything. Looks amazing!!!


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

Marlboro Cigars said:


> Came out b e a u t i f u l.. grats on completion.
> Now to fill her up and start another.
> :tu


I'm afraid it could lead to that, this thing is already full!! :frusty:


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## Vitulla (Aug 6, 2011)

beautiful shelves...love the staining...on my next one...

btw are the fans pointed directly towards sticks like that? i find having my fan pointed directly on top of cigars are drying them up. I have a shelf on the top with a box on it, so the air is blowing directly on the box so it isn't a direct stream of air, but I'm wondering how your fan setup is treating you....still banging my head on this one...


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## Wineador (Apr 11, 2011)

Vitulla said:


> beautiful shelves...love the staining...on my next one...


Howdy, I wanted to point out here, that the wood fronts on this build are NOT stained. That is Bloodwood, in it's natural color with a water based clear finish applied over them.

Purty stuff!!


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

The fans are pointed directly at boxes of cigars...My fans are set up above the singles drawers to ensure that the sticks dont dry out. Any air flow getting into the drawers is light and indirect.

I feel like the boxes offer enough protection from air moving through the cabinet. I also leave the cello on my sticks which I believe offers additional protection. All of my cigars are smoking great and have nice, oily wrappers. I run the fans on a timer (5 minutes every 2 hours, 7 days a week)


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## Vitulla (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks for clearing that up Forrest
I remember you offering me the bloodwood, never imagined it would look that nice...like I said next one!
Matt, I think Im gonna go pick up a timer this weekend. I think having the fan constantly run doesn't really have any benefits.I might just try your setup as you have tested it out and it seems to be working well for you. Thanks!


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## CiGaR_SlAyEr (May 20, 2011)

Hey Guys got a question here on the fans. I picked up my first wineador (newair aw281) and have had it up and going for a bit now. What exactly are we trying to acheive with the fans? I have 2 pounds of HF beads in mine and have been keeping a close eye of rh and temp throughout the unit with 4 hygros and all of them (bottom top front and back) are all showing a 65/65 and the fan in the unit seems too provide a gentle air movement. Im not seeing the advantage of putting extra fans in here unless theres somthing im not aware of?


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

CiGaR_SlAyEr said:


> Hey Guys got a question here on the fans. I picked up my first wineador (newair aw281) and have had it up and going for a bit now. What exactly are we trying to acheive with the fans? I have 2 pounds of HF beads in mine and have been keeping a close eye of rh and temp throughout the unit with 4 hygros and all of them (bottom top front and back) are all showing a 65/65 and the fan in the unit seems too provide a gentle air movement. Im not seeing the advantage of putting extra fans in here unless theres somthing im not aware of?


There may not be much advantage in running extra fans in your case. If you have consistent temp. and RH top and bottom with the stock fan, then I wouldnt worry about it.

Because I (and many other Edgestar owners) use a Ranco external temperature controller, our units rarely run to get the temperature within the set range. This results in very little air flow within the cab. Its cold here right now and my unit has not kicked-on in days. Because of this the stock fan does not do a good job keeping the air moving. Without the extra fans and external timer, I have experienced 5-7% RH disparities between the top and bottom of the cab.

If your unit is working fine without the fans, more power to ya! Keep that money and buy some stogies :hat:


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## Vitulla (Aug 6, 2011)

without fans I have seen a difference of up to 6 degrees, and 7% humidity.
If yours is stable, and within 2 points between top and bottom, leave it as is. don't fix it if it aint broken!


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## falconman515 (Jul 10, 2011)

I have one single Oust fan on the second shelf from the bottom in the back of my cooler pointing up just a tiny bit of airflow.... I have turned off my unit since it now sits at around 66-68 degrees with the new cold weather and my Rh sits rock solid at about 64%.

Not even sure if the fan is helping much at all but a little air movement no matter how much or how little helps I'm sure.


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## CiGaR_SlAyEr (May 20, 2011)

Thats a big difference for such a small area. Is that with the unit running or unplugged?



Vitulla said:


> without fans I have seen a difference of up to 6 degrees, and 7% humidity.
> If yours is stable, and within 2 points between top and bottom, leave it as is. don't fix it if it aint broken!


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2011)

Great job on the build! Your setup is very classy


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## Vitulla (Aug 6, 2011)

CiGaR_SlAyEr said:


> Thats a big difference for such a small area. Is that with the unit running or unplugged?


running. but I must say, thats when everything was levelling out. my buddy Pietro (ginomontreal) has the same setup and his has levelled out pretty well, within 2 degrees and 3 humidity difference top and bottom...


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## CiGaR_SlAyEr (May 20, 2011)

Vitulla said:


> running. but I must say, thats when everything was levelling out. my buddy Pietro (ginomontreal) has the same setup and his has levelled out pretty well, within 2 degrees and 3 humidity difference top and bottom...


Hmm I will have to see what happens when I get all my drawers in there but I have it packed solid with some trays and boxes and it hasnt moved more than +/- 2 from top to bottom. The first day I started it up I set the temp washed it out and then stuck some empy cigar boxes in it with my hygros and not even any beads and within a few hours it was around 63 Rh and temp right at 65 temp. So the next day the smell was pretty much gone so I loaded it up with smokes and beads and it has held 65/65 since. No complaints so far. I actually had a 120mm fan all wired up and ready to go but it doesnt seem to need it atm.


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## dhcigar (Jan 22, 2012)

madirishman said:


> Also, at this point im not planning on plugging the condensation drain. I dont really want to build a condensation catch inside the cab. Im also worried about the chance of getting my smokes wet if I was to plug the drain. From what I have gathered through observing the unit last weekend, the factory condensation drain does a good job catching water and only allows for minimal temp/RH escape.
> 
> I will keep an eye on it once I get the beads in and the RH up. I may have to scrap this plan but for right now I'll give it a shot!


excellent build Matt,I wanted to follow up with you, are you still running the unit with the drain un-plugged? how much condensation outside the unit if so?


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## Vitulla (Aug 6, 2011)

dhcigar said:


> excellent build Matt,I wanted to follow up with you, are you still running the unit with the drain un-plugged? how much condensation outside the unit if so?


My drain is unplugged with ZERO condensation. Loving the setup so far, and my temp and humidity is basically within 1 point between top and bottom.


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## dhcigar (Jan 22, 2012)

Vitulla said:


> My drain is unplugged with ZERO condensation. Loving the setup so far, and my temp and humidity is basically within 1 point between top and bottom.


Excellent, did you also go with an ETC, I was curious if I need to unhook the built in thermostat if I use an external?


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## ginomontreal (Sep 1, 2011)

very nice build


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## RealSRS (Feb 13, 2012)

I am so jelly. This is exactly what I want but am the least handy person you've ever seen. I couldnt put this ish together if my life depended on it. Anyone or any place build this and sell them for the less skilled people like me?


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

RealSRS said:


> I am so jelly. This is exactly what I want but am the least handy person you've ever seen. I couldnt put this ish together if my life depended on it. Anyone or any place build this and sell them for the less skilled people like me?


Trust me, you can do it. Just dig in and feel free to ask questions, it's easier than it looks! There are many references on this site and even more BOTLs wiling to help out.

Update: I am still running the drain unplugged with no problems. My temp/RH is rock solid, even through the winter months. The cooler is pretty much full now though, maybe I'll build another soon enough...it is tax season afterall 8)


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## madirishman (May 12, 2010)

dhcigar said:


> excellent build Matt,I wanted to follow up with you, are you still running the unit with the drain un-plugged? how much condensation outside the unit if so?


Every now and again there is a little condensation build-up in the catch pan behind the unit. I have never seen ANY standing water or condensation inside the unit. I'm impressed with the unit's ability to pull out excess condensation through the drain/catch pan system.


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